New vocabulary – it can be demanding, exacting, and difficult!
When I was a kid, I knew I wanted to be a pastor, so I paid special attention to scripture. I was good at memorizing passages. In college, I continued that trend as a religion major. Then there was an internship and then seminary. Halfway through seminary the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) was published and things had changed. No more “swaddling clothes” but “bands of cloth” draped the newborn baby Jesus. So many of my memorized verses had changed! It was a bit awkward as I struggled to use the new language at school and at church. My vocabulary needed to be updated.
As I learned the new verses, I grew to appreciate the meaning behind the changes and this old dog actually learned new tricks!
Our new Constitution and Bylaws (CaB) uses new words, as well. Gone is the Church Council and in its place is an Executive Board, with an Operations Council, and a Ministerial Council. My expectation is that it will be awkward from time to time as we learn new terms. But that’s okay. Adjusting sails is not always easy. But I believe God is still speaking. And God is able to help us as we learn new vocabulary of church. So, let’s adjust our sails, trusting that God is even able to work with old dogs like us to teach us new tricks.
Shalom, Paul
Old dogs learning new tricks
